Saturday, 1 September 2012

Apple, Google reportedly in talks to settle patent disputes

Google?s Larry Page and Apple?s Tim Cook have been conducting behind-the-scenes talks to resolve some of their intellectual-property differences, according to a report from Reuters. The two chief executives had a telephone conversation last week to discuss key topics such as the ongoing mobile patent disputes, and talks involving lower-level officials are reportedly are also being held.

The exact content of the calls has not yet been disclosed but apparently they started before a verdict was reached in the high-profile Apple v. Samsung case last week. Page and Cook are expected to speak again in the next few weeks, although no date has been set. One source told Reuters that a meeting had been scheduled for this Friday, but had been delayed for unknown reasons.

Last Friday Apple scored a decisive win against Samsung in the US, with the jury awarding Apple the right to $1.045 billion in damages. The Cupertino-based firm has since taken the next step by seeking sales injunctions against eight Samsung devices in the US, and plans to ask Judge Lucy Koh to triple the damages they were initially awarded to $3.15 billion based on the finding ?willful? infringement on Samsung's side.

The battle between the two companies is far from over, though, both in the U.S. and overseas. Samsung is planning to appeal the verdict all the way up to the Supreme Court if necessary. Meanwhile, they are still involved in dozens of other lawsuits around the world worth billions of dollars in damages claimed.